The Views on Federalism The Founding Fathers- Some, the Framers of the Constitution, thought that a federal government would mean one which could regulate and control the many states in the Union.
Alexander Hamilton, a Federalist, defined federalism as a national government strong enough to suppress the unpredictable majority opinion, in order to protect minorities (such as the economic elite).
Antifederalists such as Thomas Jefferson believed in the independent sovereignty of individual states, with the national government as a mediator in charge of foreign relations.
Eventually these views were mostly compromised through the Constitution.
Later Views- There continued, however, to be dissension between state and national power, extending throughout the next century.
The issue over a National Bank was debated by several Presidents but never stuck.
During the Civil War Era, a trend towards increased government involvement for the good of the people was begun by Abraham Lincoln. This led to more aid programs, intensified by the New Deal policies of Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression. This is the point where the Democratic Party began to have a “big government” ideology.
Eventually, the term “federal” came to mean pertaining to the national government, as opposed to a balance of local and national powers.
Modern Thought- Recently, the idea of federalism has become confused in the political system.
By federalism’s original definition, Republicans or Conservatives would be the closest to it among the political parties. They tend to support the decision of the state, as it pertains to environmental policies, gun rights, and healthcare. However, conservatives can also pass laws that are more restrictive, and are against the freedom of state choice in matters of abortion and gay marriage.
Democrats and Liberals call for a government which is able to regulate the matters of the country, working directly for the people instead of through the states. They call for more individual rights, but only as defined by the national government and not the states. This can be seen in President Barrack Obama’s stance that healthcare should be available to the people regardless of the state’s opinion.
The Founding Fathers- Some, the Framers of the Constitution, thought that a federal government would mean one which could regulate and control the many states in the Union.
Later Views- There continued, however, to be dissension between state and national power, extending throughout the next century.
Modern Thought- Recently, the idea of federalism has become confused in the political system.